One Day After New York Giants Coach Fired, Odds Posted for Replacement

A day after the New York Giants fired Head Coach Ben McAdoo an online sportsbook was posting odds on who will be his successor. Bookermaker.eu displayed the prop bet on its website.

Mike Smith, who reportedly finished second the last time the Giants searched for a head coach two years ago, is the favorite by bookmaker.eu to take the job after the team fired Ben McAdoo. (Image: Getty Images)

The NFL team’s ownership had never made a coaching change in midseason and said they didn’t plan to do so this year, but the benching of starting quarterback Eli Manning, a Big Apple institution, was the final straw.

When the team lost at Oakland last week to the Raiders it gave officials the excuse they needed. The team was a 9 ½-point underdog and lost 24-17 with Manning on the sidelines.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was named the interim coach and is expected to reinstate Manning as the signal caller when the squad hosts Dallas on Sunday. The Cowboys, who are without suspended running back Ezekiel Elliott, are 4 1/2-point picks despite being on the road.

Former Coach Favorite for Job

Surprisingly Spagnuolo was not mentioned as one of the 15 possible replacements for the Giants top job. The one with the best chance according to the sportsbook is Mike Smith at plus-350. The former Atlanta Falcons head coach had success at this level and was widely considered the runner up when McAdoo was hired two years ago.

The next pick would be New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. He is at plus-400 but is hindered by a disastrous stint with the Denver Broncos when he was fired less than two years into his tenure.

His current quarterback five-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady told a New England radio show that he should get another opportunity.

“It’s just a matter of time for Josh to get that opportunity and he certainly deserves it,” Brady said. “No one works harder than him, or is more prepared. Josh is a phenomenal coach. I am lucky to be with him for all these years and I always hope we’re together. But, there’s also great opportunities for him at some point down the road.”

New England’s defensive coordinator is also mentioned as a possibility. He is listed as a much higher plus-1200, behind Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator, Frank Reich and Detroit’s defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, both of whom are plus-550.

Gruden Playing Coy

One name that continuously pops up no matter what the vacancy might be is Jon Gruden. The former Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay head coach has not been on the sidelines since 2009.

He was also mentioned as the new coach for the University of Tennessee, but he denied being interested.

This is not the case with the Giants, however. The 54-year-old Monday Night Football analyst for ESPN was pressed by his broadcast partner Sean McDonough if he was interested in the position. Gruden tried to deflect his play-by-play man’s questions. McDonough kept at him.

“Our producer said he saw somewhere the odds of you going to the Giants are 35-1,” McDonough said. “Would you take the over or the under on 35-1?”